1. S INGAPORE

2. Singapore declared independence from Britain on 1963 and after two years as part of the Malay Federation declared its full autonomy Lee Kuan Yew became the 1 st prime minister.

3. S INGAPORE ’ S E CONOMY AND P ORT Singapore has developed into one of the most economically prosperous cities in Asia. free-market economy. strong international trading links (its port is one of the world's busiest in terms of tonnage handled)

4. G ROWTH AND ECONOMIC BASE The economy depends heavily on exports, particularly in consumer electronics, information technology products, pharmaceuticals, and on a growing financial services sector. 0% agriculture 2010 Real GDP Growth- 14.9% in 2010 (3 rd highest growth in the world) 2011 Real GDP Growth- 5.2.% in 2011 2012 Real GDP Growth- 1.3% in 2012 2013 Real GDP Growth- 3.5% in 2013 per capita GDP is 7 th in the World

5. M ILLIONAIRES AND POOR Singapore has the world's highest percentage of millionaire households, with 15.5 percent of all households owning at least one million US dollars The government has rejected the idea of a generous welfare system, stating that each generation must earn and save enough for its entire life cycle.

6. F INANCIAL C ENTER The country is the world's fourth leading financial center

8. B UYING MORE CHILDREN Singapore proposed and passed a two-month paid maternity leave for mothers of newly-born children and financial incentives to mothers who give birth to a fourth child. These policies were initiated in response to the declining birth rate that Singapore has experienced in recent years. 0.78 children born/woman 4 th highest life expectancy in the world (84 years)

9. B UYING V OTES OR BEING NICE ? In February 2006, current PM Lee Hsien Loong announced in parliament a 2.6 billion bonus called the Progress Package. The plan was to distribute budget surpluses accumulated from the past few years to adult Singaporeans in the form of cash to everyone.

10. T OURISM To attract more tourists, the government has decided to legalize gambling and to allow three casino resorts

11. S INGAPORE ’ S GOVERNMENT Lee Hsien Loong- The elder son of Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew office in August 2004 Following legislative elections, leader of majority party or leader of majority coalition usually appointed prime minister The People's Action Party (PAP) dominates the political process and has won control of Parliament in every election since self-government

12. A RE THEY FREE ? Freedom House ranks Singapore as "partly free“ The Economist ranks Singapore as a "hybrid regime", the third rank out of four, in its "Democracy Index". Singapore is consistently rated as one of the least corrupt countries in the world by Transparency International

13. E XECUTIVE P AY Lee Hsien Loong currently earns an annual US$ 1.74 million. Highest paid head of state in the world. Obama- $ 400,000

14. M ILITARY The Singaporean military is the most advanced in Southeast Asia

15. H UMAN R IGHTS VIOLATION OR GOOD SENSE Trial by jury has been abolished. Singapore has penalties that include judicial corporal punishment in the form of caning for offences such as rape, violence, rioting, drug use, vandalism, and some immigration offences Singapore also imposes a mandatory death penalty for first-degree murder, drug-trafficking, and firearms offences Amnesty International- “possibly the highest execution rate in the world relative to its population".

16. T HE RULES

17. M EDIA Singapore's media environment is highly regulated. Censorship is common, internet access is regulated and private ownership of satellite dishes is not allowed. The government vigorously punishes the press for perceived personal attacks on officials, says Freedom House. "As a result, the vast majority of print and broadcast journalists practice self- censorship." Senior officials have been known to sue foreign newspapers.

22. NEWS http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/24/world/asia/si ngapore-slashes-officials- salaries.html?_r=1&ref=singapore http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/27/world/asia/in -singapore-vitriol-against-newcomers-from- mainland-china.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/16/business/glob al/singapore-fights-image-as-tax- haven.html?ref=singapore